A winner of the race two years ago Halvorsen turned back the clock in Saturday’s $250,000 Group III Standish Hcp (1200m) at Flemington.
Jamie Kah had the last run on the 6yo son of Magnus to defeat It'sourtime (Time For War) by with a further back to the topweight The Astrologist (Zoustar) in third.
Trained by Robbie Griffiths and Mathew de Kock, Halvorsen finished third in the Listed Kensington stakes at Flemington on December 11, having captured the Listed Mumm stakes (1000m) at Flemington in November.
Stable representative Reid Balfour said the son of Magnus has been a mainstay of the stable.
“He delivers every preparation and he’s a great horse to have,” Balfour said.
“He’s going every bit as well (as when winning the race two years ago).
“He had that one preparation where he didn’t come up. He ran in the Newmarket that year and he just didn’t come up, so we gave him a good long spell and we’re seeing the results.
“We’ll see how he comes through today but probably map a path through to that race again.
“The Oakleigh Plate is a possibility, but he’d probably find it a bit tough against the weight-for-age horses in a Lightning Stakes.”
Kah said Halvorsen is a tricky horse to ride, but was on top of his game today.
“Robbie thought he was ready to peak today, and he was. He gave me a beautiful ride,” Kah said.
“He’s a tricky horse to ride, he said you just have to wait, wait and I really wanted to push the button but I had to wait a bit longer than I usually would but he had plenty left and he gave me a lovely ride.
“I think he only has that short sprint, if you let him go too soon he doesn’t find the line as well. It’s difficult because you feel you’ve got so much underneath you. I’m glad I waited and it was a good result in the end.”
Bred by Griffiths in association with part-owner Don Healy, Halvorsen advances his record to nine wins, four seconds and three thirds from 28 starts with earnings of $905,500.
He is the best of two winners out of the talented Not A Single Doubt mare Flourishing a 4-time winner in Melbourne who is a half-sister to the stakes-winner Beltrois (Bel Esprit) who finished second to Royal Ida in the Standish twelve years ago.
Flourishing has a yearling colt and a colt foal by Magnus and was covered by the Widden Stud stallion again last spring.
